Piano attachment



Patented Mar. 22,1898.

J. H. MOYER.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE HEOHLER MOYER, OF TEMPLE, TEXAS.

PIANO ATTACHM ENT.

SPECIFICTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,156, dated March 22, 1898.

Application tiled J'une 25, 1897. Serial No. 642,306. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t 77am/ concern:

Beit known that I, JEssE HECHLER MOYER, a citizen of the United States,residin g at Temple, in the county of Bell and State of Texas, have invented a newand usef ul Piano Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment for pianos, particularly of the upright class, designed to produce a harp, mandolin, or cithern tone; and it consists particularly in an improvement upon the construction of striker shown and described in Patent No. 573,474, granted to me on December 22, 1896.

The object in view is to provide a striker for interposition between a hammer and the strings of the instrument whereby the tone is softened without depriving i-t of its metallic ring, the impact of the striker being positive and uniform for all of the unison-strings encountered thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of striker head or face adapted to receive the direct impact of the hammer and to be driven by the hammer into contact with the strings without a secondary or auxiliary stroke of the striker.

A further object of the invention is to provide a striker of such construction as to produce a cymbal-like vibration or tone.

Further objects and advantages of this in` vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an attachment constructed in accordance with my invention applied in the operative position to a portion of a piano-action, the latter being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of a tongue-bar and a plurality of strikers constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of one of the tongues detached with one of the faces of the tongue rolled back to expose the weights or plates normally covered thereby. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of the free end or head of the tongue. Fig. 5 is a detail View in perspective of one of the weights detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a tongue-bar which is adapted to be arranged within a piano contiguous to the planes of the strings 2 to carry flexible tongues 3 for arrangement in the paths of the hammers et of the instrument, whereby when in use the device causes the production of a metallic instead of the usual soft tone, due to the impact with the strings of felted or clothed hammers. The specific construction of the tongue-bar forms no part of my present invention and may correspond with that of my said former patent, the improvement covered. herein relating solely to the construction of the strikers.

1t is desirable in devices of this class to provide a striker of the necessary weight and distribution to secure the uniform impact thereof with all of the unison-strings encountered and at the same time provide means for preventing the direct contact of the metallic weight with the strings in order to avoid the disagreeable ring incident thereto. Hence in practice I have discovered that an efficient construction of striker may be produced by employing a flexible tongue split or bifurcated transversely at its lower or free extremity to form separate front and rear faces and a flat rectangular metallic weight interposed and secured between said faces, as set forth in my said former patent. In the present construction I employ the above-named general features of my former construction in that the flexible tongue, which may be of leather or other equivalent material, is split or bifurcated transversely at its lower extremity to form front and rear faces 5, while the flat rectangular metallic weight 6 is interposed between said faces, with its side and lower edges exposed iiush with the contiguous edges of said faces; but in order to produce a vibration similar to that of cymbals while at the same time the impact of the hammer of the instrument is applied directly to the weighted head of the striker I have found it desirable to duplicate the weight or employT in the construction of the weight a plurality of thin coextensive plates of sufficient superficial area to form a striking-surface for the IOO a l f 601,156

hammer. In the constructionillustrated two of these coextensive plates are employed, and in order that they may be reduced to the desired weight without reducing their superficial area.they are provided with openings or slots 7, which have the further effect of softening the jingle or cymbal-like tone produced by the vibration in contact of the plates. These slots or openings also perform the additional function of facilitating the attachment of the plates to the faces of the tongue in that stitches or other securing means may be engaged therewith.

In the construction illustrated the coextensive plates, which constitute the members of the sectional weight located between the front and rear faces formed by the bifurcation of the lower or free extremity of the tongue, are secured by stitches at one edge and are left free for vibration at the remaining edges.

' Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having` a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its free end to form front and rear faces, and a flat rectangular metallic weight interposed between said faces and provided with slots or openin gs, substantially as specified.

2. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its free end to forni front and rear faces, and a flat rectangular metallic weight interposed between said faces and provided with slots or openings, said weight being exposed at its side and lower edges, substantially as specified.

In adevice of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its lower extremity to form front and rear faces, and a plurality of flat rectangular metallic plates interposed between said faces, substantially as specified.

4. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its lower extremity to form front and rear faces, and a sectional metallic weight interposed between said faces with the sections in Contact, substantially as specified.

5. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its free end to forni front and rear faces, and a sectional metallic weight interposed between said faces and consisting of a plurality of coextensive plates, substantially as specified.

6. In adevice of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is split or bifurcated transversely at its free end to form front and rear faces, and a sectional weight consisting of plates interposed between said faces and secured at one edge thereto, substantially as specied.

7. In a device of the class described, aflexi ble striker having a tongue provided at its free end with a sectional metallic weight of which the sections are arranged in contact, substantially as specified.

8. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue provided at its free end with a sectional metallic weight, of which the side designed for contact with the strings of an instrument is clothed or covered, substantially as specified.

9. In a piano attachment of the class described, a striker having a flexible terminally-bit'iircated tongue, and slotted cymbalweights inclosed in the bifui'cated end of the tongue and adapted to receive thedirect impact of the hammer of the piano, and to be driven thereby into contact with the strings, substantially as specified.

l0. In a device of the class described, a striker having slotted cymbaiweights inclosed in the bifurcated end of a flexible strip, in combination with the strings and a hammer of an instrument, the striker being arranged with its weighted extremity in the path of the hammer and adapted to be driven thereby into contact with the strings, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE HECHLER MOYER. ilfitiiesses:

X. B. SAUNDERs, Jr., ENocH JONES. 

